Age and counting calories with keto
Luannelizabeth
Posts: 51 Member
For the past several years, I've found that I cannot lose weight on keto unless I also count calories. I can lose weight if I keep the calories below 1200 - 1400.
I think my age may have something to do with it. I'm 66.
Anyone else have this experience?
I think my age may have something to do with it. I'm 66.
Anyone else have this experience?
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Replies
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Luannelizabeth wrote: »For the past several years, I've found that I cannot lose weight on keto unless I also count calories. I can lose weight if I keep the calories below 1200 - 1400.
I think my age may have something to do with it. I'm 66.
Anyone else have this experience?
I did keto in my late 30s and I for sure had that experience. I think I'm going through early perimenopause though in what has to be the slowest most excruciating slog EVER.
Lots of folk have that very experience as well. Some people just don't get as much of appetite suppression as others, so in order to not eat too much of ALL the incredibly delicious keto food, which will keep us from losing weight, we have to count our calorie intake. There are so many reasons why and age and hormone balance or activity level or stress can be some reasons. At it's base though, bodies lose weight eating less than they burn. Some can just not eat too much thanks to appetite suppression, and some are always just hungry caterpillars and count. I never had the appetite suppression and had to count but I made it to goal. But I did get hormone rebalancing and energy and good blood sugar numbers.
HTH.
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That helps a lot. As you say, it makes me feel so good and I know that I need to eat this way for my health -- blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. -- not just for weight loss. Just a matter of patience. Thanks.1
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I am 63, and having gained a few covid kilos, am trying to lose them now. It ain't happening. I eat around 1200 cals, lchf, and my maintenance is supposed to be around 1800--or it was prior to working from home. 1200 is the calorie level that I ate at 6 years ago when I lost weight, but I seemed to have become adjusted to it, a lower set point maybe.
Tried IF last month, but couldn't stick with it long enough to lose. sigh. Is it time to go carnivore??0 -
baconslave wrote: »Luannelizabeth wrote: »For the past several years, I've found that I cannot lose weight on keto unless I also count calories. I can lose weight if I keep the calories below 1200 - 1400.
I think my age may have something to do with it. I'm 66.
Anyone else have this experience?
I did keto in my late 30s and I for sure had that experience. I think I'm going through early perimenopause though in what has to be the slowest most excruciating slog EVER.
Lots of folk have that very experience as well. Some people just don't get as much of appetite suppression as others, so in order to not eat too much of ALL the incredibly delicious keto food, which will keep us from losing weight, we have to count our calorie intake. There are so many reasons why and age and hormone balance or activity level or stress can be some reasons. At it's base though, bodies lose weight eating less than they burn. Some can just not eat too much thanks to appetite suppression, and some are always just hungry caterpillars and count. I never had the appetite suppression and had to count but I made it to goal. But I did get hormone rebalancing and energy and good blood sugar numbers.
HTH.
Let's not forget that its very easy to get a ton of calories eating keto, especially if you focus on very high fat food. A lot of people assume more fat, the better, but before you know it, you are eating 400 calories of butter.
I am one who can destroy food. If i ate "traditional" keto foods, I'd weight 250 lbs. And even as a 38 yr old male, i still calorie count and focus on leaner foods to increase volume.
The " benefit" i get from keto is i tend to think less about food and can go longer periods without food. But the disadvantage is gym performance. It's always a struggle to balance both.2 -
baconslave wrote: »Luannelizabeth wrote: »For the past several years, I've found that I cannot lose weight on keto unless I also count calories. I can lose weight if I keep the calories below 1200 - 1400.
I think my age may have something to do with it. I'm 66.
Anyone else have this experience?
I did keto in my late 30s and I for sure had that experience. I think I'm going through early perimenopause though in what has to be the slowest most excruciating slog EVER.
Lots of folk have that very experience as well. Some people just don't get as much of appetite suppression as others, so in order to not eat too much of ALL the incredibly delicious keto food, which will keep us from losing weight, we have to count our calorie intake. There are so many reasons why and age and hormone balance or activity level or stress can be some reasons. At it's base though, bodies lose weight eating less than they burn. Some can just not eat too much thanks to appetite suppression, and some are always just hungry caterpillars and count. I never had the appetite suppression and had to count but I made it to goal. But I did get hormone rebalancing and energy and good blood sugar numbers.
HTH.
Let's not forget that its very easy to get a ton of calories eating keto, especially if you focus on very high fat food. A lot of people assume more fat, the better, but before you know it, you are eating 400 calories of butter.
I am one who can destroy food. If i ate "traditional" keto foods, I'd weight 250 lbs. And even as a 38 yr old male, i still calorie count and focus on leaner foods to increase volume.
The " benefit" i get from keto is i tend to think less about food and can go longer periods without food. But the disadvantage is gym performance. It's always a struggle to balance both.
Same.
Yes. Good point! I've been doing this so long, I forget.
Sometimes we come to a point where we realize counting calories that, "DANG! Butter has hella calories!" Which is an important realization. Cream cheese, all cheese in general, and nuts...geez!
I got to the point that I had to sacrifice fat for protein. Fat was still high, but I was able to hit my protein better and still feel fuller.
Reddit's Keto subreddit has a great FAQ that I think all keto folk should read who are serious about it. https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
Here's a short and sweet treatment of simple keto I posted in another thread. It was about someone unsure whether to do net or total carbs, but it applies here as well.1. Carbs are a ceiling in grams.
Whether or not to do net carbs depends on your body really. Start with net carbs. And if that is working great for you, know that is fine. Most people can get and stay in ketosis at 50g total carbs. But some people with metabolic syndrome or diabetes need lower, and athletes can actually eat more carbs and stay in since they burn them off so fast. These are generally outliers though. So since you started net carbs stick with it until it doesn't work for you any more. If your energy and health are feeling good and the cravings are staying away then you're good.
2. Protein is a goal in grams.
It's a range. How much you personally need depends on your height, weight, and activity level. But in general, unless you are super short or a super athlete, then shoot for around 100g. More isn't going to hurt you. Don't listen to any of that noise. 100g is a pretty good amount of meat/dairy. You'd have to eat like 250-300g to even begin to consider worrying about stuff like gluconeogenesis, and even then, that's disputed.
3. Fill the rest of the intake with fat.
Don't listen to super obsessive rants on particular fat to protein ratios. It is unnecessary noise. If you count your carbs, get enough protein by choosing med. to fatty cuts of meat, some low-carb dairy, and just enough oil/butter to cook tasty meat and veggies, your ratios will naturally fall around over 60-70% fat. And since you aren't doing this for therapeutic/medical keto, then you don't need to worry about it more than what I've detailed.
Last tip:
Don't forget to count calories. This is a calorie-count app/site after all. There are a lot of keto folk who get Marvel-Hero level appetite suppression and can just follow their satiety cues and lose weight till they hit goal. But there are just as many with wonky appetites, like me. Our cues are lazy or nonexistent and we can easily keep eating well past what is "enough." It doesn't help that keto food is so DANG delicious. I started out just counting carbs, but lost weight for only 3 months before stalling out. I then knew I had to start counting calories. So I did and went on to lose weight until I reached my goal. I've met or talked to all kinds of people who have had my exact experience. So, anyway, just keep the calorie component in mind. You have this.2 -
Also if we have fat on our bodies we Don't need to add more for fuel. Fat just enough to make food taste good and depress appetite.1
